John l



J. L. ROWE.

ELECTRIC PAD.

(No Model.)

No. 249,550. Patented NOV.15,1881..

swfzmw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. ROWE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRlC P A D.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 249,550, dated November 15, 1881. Application filed September 29, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN L. ROWE, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Electric Pads, of which the following is a specification. F

The effect of a. galvanic current upon the body is well known, and the fact that its action is beneficial in promoting the granulation of injured tissue is also recognized.

I have constructed a pad with a galvanic battery within it, so that it is adapted to use with hernial trusses or as a simple body-pad.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is asection of the hernial pad and battery. Fig. 2 is asection of the same pad and battery in a flat form, and Fig. 3is a view of the pad with the back removed to show the battery. Fig. 4 'is an elevation of the back of the pad.

The battery is made of a flat glass vessel, 0., having two necks, b e, and a filling-orifice, d. The poles c and z are of metal, preferably in the form. of thin copper and zinc plates rolled up, and to each a wire is attached. The corks forthe necks b e are perforated for the wires h k to pass through from the respective poles 02, so thatthe bottle ais closed tightly at the necks b 6. There is a movable stopper for the opening d, this being, by preference, ofrubber. The exciting-liquid is acidulated water, introduced .at the'orilice 62 and retained by the stopper.

The pad is made of two parts, f and 9, provided with suitable flanges, like a box, and screwed together at the junction of the flanges 3 and 4. I preferhard rubber for this pad. The wires h and 7c are of soft metahso as to bebeut easily, and they are received into grooves in the inner surface of the part fand passed out through holes and turned back upon" the outer surface of the pad, at which place the electrodeplates 1 m are applied. These electrode-plates l m are preferably attached by pron gs that pass into holes in the pad, and are sprung in, so as to hold the plates in contact with the respective Wires, and allow of removal, if necessary. The edges of the electrodes do not touch each other; hence the current generated by the battery passes through the portion of the body with which they are in contact, and in so doing the curative effect of the electric current is directed upon the injured or diseased parts. The

strength of the current can be varied by increasing or lessening the acidity of the excitingliquid.

The face of the pad coming next to the body may be flat, as in Fig. 2, or it may be more or less convex, to act as a p'resser in rcstoringruptured parts to their places.

The spring-plate s and screw it serve to connect the pad to the body-spring v or straps by which the hernial padis sustained in its place.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a pad, ofa flat bottle having three openings, one of which is provided with a iemovable stopper, two batteryplates of dissimilar material, conductors passing out at the other openings ofthe bottle, and electrode-plates on the outside of the pad'with which the wires are in contact, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a body-pad, of a two partbox, a bottle within the box containing pole-plates and exciting-liquid, wires passing through the box, andelectrode-plates on the surface of the box, haviugtongues passing into openings in the box for holding such electrodeplates, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 24th day of September, A. D. 1881.

JOHN L. RDWE.

Witnesses WILLIAM G. Mo'r'r, LEMUEL W. SERRELL. 

